TRP: Irah and Sam (Cauterized)
The library in Skyport where Irah works. Day 374. Three days after Sam was originally supposed to meet Irah, and instead left a note for him saying that he would be delayed a day or two. Morning. There was a tap on the door of the closet that Irah slept on, and the quiet, timid voice of a fellow librarian -- a young woman interning at the library whose name was Stephanie. "Irah? Are you awake?" JEN Irah was. Which was a damn problem because he'd have really liked to be asleep but his thoughts wouldn't let him. They didn't approve either. He rolled over and out of the bed, which resulted in him standing barely two feet away from the door, and opened. IZZY Stephanie was a small woman with large glasses. She had no particular talents to speak of, apart from being able to climb shelves and reach books that would otherwise be out of reach. "There's a man outside," she said nervously. "I think he's homeless? He looks like he might be dangerous. He's blocking the door." JEN Irah blinked. "I... I don't think I can do... did he say what he wants?" IZZY "He's asleep?" she said, uncertainly. JEN "Asleep?" Irah frowned, blinked some more. His eyes were burning and his head felt like pudding from the lack of sleep. He was in no shape to deal with loiterers right now. IZZY She nodded, picking at her nails, and glanced towards the door. "I thought, maybe since you have magic, you could ..." JEN He followed her look, cringing. "My magic is not... not exactly... you know." He made a vague attempt at communicating the problem with his hands. "I don't have anything for that? This particular problem." IZZY She flapped her hands a little, helplessly. "He's scaring people away." JEN "Uhhhm. Ugh." He made a few more distressed noises, jaw clenched and knuckles rubbing at his eyes. Gods. Why him. Alright, okay. He could at least take a look at this person and then... then they could call the city watch. They'd take care of it, yes. "Fine," he said. "Give me a moment." He turned around and sat on the bed to pull on his pants and boots. He didn't bother changing out his night shirt- throwing on a jacket over it would be enough. IZZY Stephanie waited politely, fidgeting with her hands, then needlessly led him to the door, where she hung back and chewed on her nails while he looked outside. There was, indeed, a scruffy and dangerous looking man passed out just outside the door. He was still sitting more or less upright, just slumped inelegantly against one of the guardian lion statues that flanked the library doors, his legs sprawled out to take up too much space on the stairs. A pair of university students -- a little younger than Stephanie -- were clumped together, staring at him and whispering, and upon seeing Irah, they hurried towards him and into the sanctuary of the library. Sam didn't budge. He was deeply unconscious, his lyre in his arms as if he'd played himself to sleep. There were bruises and scrapes visible on his arms and face, and shadows around his eyes, and stiff bloodstains on his clothes. JEN "Oh my god," Irah exclaimed. He hurried down to the man, made as if to touch him- hesitated, because Sam really was dangerous and what if- then gathered his nerves and laid both hands to Sam's shoulders to shake him gently. IZZY Sam snorted and twitched awake, blinking at Irah groggily. "Hey." His voice was hoarse. "You ready to go?" JEN "Go?" Irah asked dumbly. He took a step back to give Sam some space. "What... why... what are you doing here?" IZZY "I know I'm late," Sam said, still drowsy. JEN Irah's mouth fell open. Right. Right. The incredibly stupid decision that was likely going to be the death of him. He'd not forgotten about it, gods no. "I meant, what are you doing here?" Irah pointed at the steps. "You look- terrible. What happened?" IZZY Sam looked down at himself and went ehh. "Pirates. A boar. You know how it goes." He looked back up, squinting a bit. "Maybe you don't. Anyway, it's not as bad as it looks. This weird fucking kid healed me. It's a long story." JEN "I, uh. I'm sure it is." Sam didn't look particularly healed. Or healthy at all for that matter. Irah glanced back at the door where Stephanie still stood and watched. "So you... you want to leave? Right now?" IZZY He offered a weary thumbs up. JEN Irah gave a drawn-out aahhh. He was so not ready. Didn't look like Sam was either. "Don't you... need to pack? Or something?" He eyes Sam again and grimaced. "Get some rest maybe? Like... food and a bed. And a bath." IZZY Sam blinked at him blearily. "What? No. I'm all ready." JEN "Oh. Uh. Okay." Irah fiddled with the hem of his sleeves. "Well, uh, I'm gonna need a bit. To get ready." IZZY Sam gave him another thumbs up and slouched against the statue again. "I'll be here," he mumbled, eyes already closed. JEN --- Stephanie stalked him back to his closet, looking on with confusion and worry behind her big glasses as Irah pulled the few personal things he had out from under his bed. Clothes, mostly, a few books and an old canvas backpack. He stuffed socks in, his notebook and a coal pen, a scarf and an extra shirt. He was almost out the door again when he realized he was still wearing his nightshirt. Should he take it? Would it be any good? Stephanie asked a couple questions of what was going on and who this man was but Irah ignored her same as he did their voices. They had nothing to offer except doubts, which Irah took for a sign he was doing the right thing. Of course these demonic creatures wouldn't want him stopping one of theirs entering this plane. Maybe... He shook it off. No time for speculation right now. He closed his door and made to walk off, then stopped short and whirled to face Stephanie. "Do you have a knife?" he asked. IZZY She looked mildly horrified. "N-No?" JEN He grumbled. Irah didn't know much about travelling on the road but he sure knew you needed a knife. And a pot maybe. And a canvas for sleeping on. He'd have to hit the market. "Oh, right," he said, almost turned to go again, "I'll be gone for a while. A few... uh. Days? Maybe?" He made a doubtful face but tried for a smile when he saw Stephanie's expression sink. "I'll be back. And I, uh. I'll get this homeless man off the steps." IZZY "Wh ..." She continued looking horrified, but didn't appear to know what to say. JEN Irah had no thoughts to spare for the consequences that might come of him just leaving like that. People might not understand, but the consequences if he did do this... he barely dared to think about it. Out on the steps Sam was still slumped against the statue. People had slowly caught on that he probably wasn't a threat but still gave him a wide circle coming up the stairs. Irah went to crouch down beside him and shook him awake mid-snore. IZZY He jolted awake again, blinking in disorientation. He rubbed at his face. "Ready?" JEN "I think I still need some... things." Irah rubbed the back of his neck. "Essentials, you know. A canvas, a knife, uh... " He eyed Sam but he didn't seem to have much in terms of gear either. "A... pot. Maybe. Don't you also need to pack more?" IZZY Sam looked absolutely baffled. "A ... pot? A canvas. What?" JEN "Well, for, uh... cooking. And sleeping on... no?" Irah bit the inside of his cheek to keep from physically cringing, then hopefully asked, "Or are we going to stay at inns?" IZZY "I usually just ... sleep by the side of the road," he said, puzzled. "I've got dried rations." He idly picked a twig out of a half undone braid. JEN "Oh. I see." Irah blinked a couple times, groped for something else to say but then gave up. IZZY Sam blinked back. "Do you ... want to stay at inns?" he asked after a beat. JEN "Uhhh. wouldn't that be the most... sensible thing to do?" IZZY He shrugged. "No one's ever robbed me. Or killed me," he added, unnecessarily. JEN "Uh-huh. Uhm." Irah swallowed a dry lump in his throat. "We'll see I guess." IZZY Sam blinked a few more times, then pushed himself up, catching handholds on the stone lion and wincing. He shifted his lyre onto his back and yawned, still looking deeply sleep-deprived. "We have to walk to Gentleglen. Or we can pay someone to take us." JEN Irah bit back a worried inquiry about Sam's health. Oh gods. Well... if it came to that, at least Sam would be easier to kill in a weakened state. He swallowed the suddenly rising fear and toed at the ground. "I, uh. Don't have a lot of money." IZZY He waved it off. "It's fine. I've got it. I just ... normally walk." Then shrugged, and looked Irah up and down. "We can get a carriage. You don't do a lot of walking, do you?" JEN "I'm a scholar," Irah raid, avoiding Sam's eyes. IZZY "You're a nerd," Sam offered good-naturedly. "Don't worry about it. Fuck, man, I'll carry you to Gentleglen myself, if you want. Come on." He turned to amble towards the edge of the city, looking back and gesturing for Irah to follow. JEN --- Irah didn't want to be carried but with every yard they walked, he considered it more and more. Sam was right. He was a nerd and not used to physical exertion at all. The straps of his pack were starting to chafe his shoulders while he could feel a blister forming on at least two of his toes. And he was thirsty. "What, ah," he began, a little out of breath from the hill they'd just climbed, "what are we going to do for water? We are gonna have water, don't we?" IZZY Sam unhooked his canteen from his belt and sloshed it before offering it to Irah. He eyed Irah's bag. "You want me to carry that for you?" JEN "Nah, it's fine," Irah said taking the canteen. "Really," he added at the look Sam gave him. IZZY Sam kept giving him that look. JEN "It's fine," Irah said, even managing to muster a bit of emphasis. IZZY He shrugged. "Well, if you change your mind. What do you have in there, anyway?" he asked, curious, and guessed, "Books?" JEN "Yes," Irah said, a bit sheepish at it being that obvious. "And some clothes. And a blanket." IZZY Sam halting, awkwardly went to pat Irah's shoulder. "That's some nerd shit." JEN Irah gave an unconvincing smile. If taking his spell notes was already nerd shit... "Do... you read?" He asked, trying not to sound offensive. IZZY He raised an eyebrow, giving Irah a confused look. "Sometimes. Wait. Are you asking if I can read?" He sounded more incredulous than insulted. JEN "No! No." Irah shrank a little. "I know you can read, remember? I meant... books. You know, stories and history and such." IZZY Sam just seemed perplexed by the question. "I guess. If I need to for some reason." JEN Irah nodded as if that gave him any particular insight. JEN --- The further they left the coast behind, the steeper and more numerous the hills got. Irah fought through it, telling Sam he was fine between wheezes. Fortunately the sky turned grey after a while and at least that stopped him from sweating so much. However, when the wind picked up and the first droplets began to fall, Irah changed his mind on his luck. It didn't take long until the clouds opened up, turning the landscape into a hazy, foggy mess, and Irah into a miserable, shivering heap. He tried to keep up with Sam, who seemed utterly unaffected by the rain, hoping a quicker pace would warm him up but Irah still saw himself fall behind further an further. This was awful. They'd not even reached Gentleglen yet. And then they were to go beyond...? IZZY Sam slogged on ahead steadily, glancing back at Irah now and then. He would slow down, but then pick up his pace again like he'd forgotten he was supposed to be slowing. He kept glancing back, though, squinting through the downpour, and finally stopped entirely and took a step back to meet Irah. "Hey." He had to raise his voice over the rain, and he shielded his eyes with a drenched, dripping sleeve. "Do you want to ... stop? There aren't any inns around, but we could make camp, maybe." He sounded doubtful. JEN Irah started to tell Sam how he was fine, but really, he wasn't. His jacket was only cloth and it'd soaked through within minutes. Drawing it around him tight like he was doing now helped nothing against the shivering. "Maybe... " He echoed, stopping when he caught up with Sam. "I can make fire, but-" Irah glanced around with little hope. IZZY "Yeah." Sam shook himself like a dog, for all the good it did, and peered into the nearby trees. He put a hand on Irah's upper back to direct him that way. "Come on. Maybe it'll be better with some tree cover." JEN The difference the trees made, if any, was marginal. Water squished and sloshed in Irah's boots as they navigated the slippery underbrush. No dry piece of wood in sight. No shelter. Irah glared up at the canopied sky, wishing he knew how to curse clouds. IZZY Sam squelched around for a bit, glancing back, again, at Irah several times. The rain was showing no sign of so much as letting up, and the ground was turning to marsh quickly. He came back and beckoned Irah to follow him over to a tree that had low enough branches to be climbable, and a sturdy crook. "Here," he said. "We can get off the fucking ground, anyway. Can you ..." Another doubtful look. "Can you climb trees? I can give you a boost." JEN "Uhh," Irah made, mirroring Sam's look. "I'll try, I guess." IZZY Sam knelt down in the mud to give him a boost anyway. JEN Irah stood a foot on Sam's linked hands and reached up the tree trunk. There was a branch nearby which would help him haul himself up- if he could reach it. Sam gave him a shove and suddenly the branch was close enough to grab. Irah wrapped his arms around it and tried to scramble up, feet scraping and slipping against the tree trunk. IZZY Sam gave a half-hearted encouraging, "Hey, there you go. You got it," and pushed him up again, helpfully, by the ass. JEN It was enough to let Irah swing a leg over the branch and he hauled himself up hugging the branch like a sloth. Step one. Gods. The ground looked terribly far away even from here. IZZY Sam scrambled up into the tree a bit easier, following after. He got up into the crook and straddled it, and offered his hands down to Irah. JEN Irah bit his lip trying not to shake so much as he slowly, carefully, let go of the branch with one hand to grasp Sam's. He pulled him up and Irah gave a deep sigh when he'd settled into the crook, feeling somewhat secure. IZZY Once Irah was in place, Sam gave him an awkward shoulder pat and stood carefully, wobbling a bit but finding his balance. He squinted up further into the branches, blinking in the rain, then seemed to give up on whatever he was considering and settled back down, squished in next to Irah. He fumbled through his bag, carefully, trying to keep the contents from getting too soaked, and pulled out a thin waxed half-cloak -- it wouldn't do much to even keep one person dry, but he shoved as close to Irah as possible and held the thing over their heads, at least protecting their heads and a should apiece from the rain. He muttered under his breath in a harsh, guttural tongue, and their clothes dried themselves, somewhat. JEN "Gods," Irah breathed. He shoved closer to Sam and crossed his arms to warm his chest. "I, uh... I'm sorry. For this. I'm holding you up." IZZY "Eh? Nah. Don't worry about it. You can't control the weather." He shifted to wrap an arm around Irah, pulling him in further under the cover of the waterproof cloak. Another little burst of heat dried them a bit more, warming Sam's skin and Irah's clothes. JEN "You don't seem to mind," Irah muttered. A thought flashed through his mind, making him tense up for a moment. What if this rain was no coincidence? Was he being targeted by malicious magic? But if this was the case, why would Sam try to keep him dry... IZZY Sam shrugged. "I'm just used to it. You're not. It's not a problem." He tried to get more of himself and Irah under the cloak, shifting and rearranging limbs. "You're pretty light," he said after a second. JEN "Light?" Irah asked. His elbow was in the way of getting more coverage so he awkwardly shoved the arm between them and around Sam's back. IZZY "Yeah," Sam said, and didn't elaborate. Then, after another beat, he hooked his free arm -- the one not holding the cloak overhead -- around Irah's back in return, and hefted him up a bit and closer still, so that their chests were flush together and Irah was essentially in Sam's lap -- as close as was possible with him straddling the tree, anyway. Sam was warm to the touch, and not even shivering, and like this, Irah was just about entirely shielded from the rain. "You're cold," Sam muttered, either as explanation or simple statement of fact. JEN Being moved so suddenly caught Irah by surprise and he wrapped his arms around Sam to keep from falling; not that it'd been necessary, he supposed, but better safe than sorry. "Sorry," Irah said again for lack of anything better. Rivulets of cold water ran out of his hair down his back, making him shake and prove Sam's point. He was miserably cold. IZZY Sam scoffed a little, and sounded vaguely embarrassed. "Sorry," he mumbled back. Another burst of heat swept off him. JEN "Hey," Irah said after a moment, "how do you... how do you do that?" IZZY "Magic," Sam said, unhelpfully. JEN "Uhh... yes. But what kind? What spell?" IZZY "Oh, uh. Right. Wizard. You know that." He sounded sheepish, and admitted, "It's -- warlock, sorcerer shit. You know? It's not like wizardry." JEN Irah bit his tongue. There it was. Warlock. To whom? Well, it was obvious at this point, wasn't it? Suddenly he felt very vulnerable, facing the tree, back unprotected, firmly - literally - in Sam's grasp. If he died now no one would know. No one would even know where to start looking. "Oh," he said after a moment, realizing he'd missed his cue, but nothing more. IZZY After another moment, Sam awkwardly said, "Yeah." JEN Irah worried the inside of his cheek while more moments passed, the only sounds the patter of the rain and their breathing. Would he giving himself away if he asked? But Sam had brought it up. This might be the best chance Irah got to make it sound casual. And he had to know. If it came down to... killing Sam... Irah had to be sure. "Uh... " He made, quietly, then coughed and tried again louder. "Uhm. What kind of warlock are you then? It's, uh. It's fascinating. I like learning about other styles of magic." IZZY Sam didn't respond for a moment. "The sort that can summon weapons," he said, then. "My quarterstaff." He'd been using it for a walking stick, for a while, but now that they were in the tree it was indeed absent. JEN "I see." A few more seconds passed as Irah groped for a way to stay with the topic. "Is that, uh... I understand there's different kinds of patrons. Is summoning a weapon tied to one specifically?" IZZY "Uh. No. I don't think so." He sounded uncomfortable. "Hey, you know, honestly, if you're interested, I'm not the best warlock to ask. I sort of got into it by accident. And I think I'm sort of ... different from most warlocks. So there's that." JEN "Oh. I see, uh... different how?" Irah was glad to have his face turned towards the trunk, so at least all he had to do was keep his voice from telling on him, which was hard enough on its own. IZZY "Uh," Sam said again. "Man, I don't know. I can do things warlocks can't normally do." He seemed to consider for a second, and a bit hesitantly, added, "My patron says ... eh, never mind. I don't know what I'm talking about." JEN Irah hummed, considering. He didn't know what that meant. He needed... a name. But it seemed he was pushing it already. If he asked now it might tip Sam off, so instead he said, "Well, you can always come to the library. I'll help you figure it out. If you want." IZZY "Oh." He sounded surprised. "Uh -- yeah, maybe. You'd do that?" JEN "Ah... sure. Yeah. That's my job." IZZY "Ah. Yeah, no, of course. That makes sense." He paused. "Thanks." JEN "Nothing to thank for," Irah said, then fell silent. IZZY Sam didn't respond. --- It took some time for the rain to let up, and once it did, night had fallen. Sam remained still in the tree for a while, warm and steady, and when there were finally no more drips hitting the waxed cloak, he lowered it carefully and gave Irah a gentle shake. JEN He mumbled, surfacing from a dream, and blinked his eyes open- then spotted the ground too many feet below and shrieked, clamping his arms tight around what turned out to be Sam. IZZY Sam wheezed a little at the clamping. He patted Irah's back tiredly. "I've got you. Storm's over -- we should get out of this fucking tree." JEN "Ah, uh. You're right." Irah slowly loosened his grip. When he didn't plummet to the ground, he shifted a bit to give Sam some space. IZZY Sam shifted around awkwardly, passing Irah the cloak before swinging his leg around so he could hop out of the tree -- causing an unpleasant squelching sound and a tidal wave of muddy water to be kicked up under his boots. He grumbled and held a hand back up to Irah. JEN Irah peered down, not sure how that'd help him. "Let me just... " He mumbled and began crawling back onto the branch he'd clung to earlier. From there he carefully lowered himself until he hung by his arms- then let go. He hit the ground with a smack, the impact throwing him off balance and landing him ass-first in the mud, splattering dirt water everywhere. IZZY Sam grimaced, eyes shut against the splatter. He opened them slowly and spit out a bit of mud. "I could've helped you," he said belatedly. JEN "Sorry," Irah said between gritted teeth. He got to his feet, made to brush the dirt off himself but thought better of it. Useless. IZZY Sam gave him a now-familiar awkward pat on the shoulder and turned back towards the road. "Let's walk a ways. We can make camp on higher ground." JEN All the warmth Irah had come to feel while dozing against Sam drained out of him on the short walk back. Water sloshed in his boots chilling his feet and making his toes rub raw inside his socks. When they reached the top of the next hill, Irah was shivering again. They found a slightly elevated patch of grass at the edge of the trees. Nothing seemed dry enough to make a campfire with but Irah was determined to get one going anyway so he stumbled into the trees and started collecting branches. IZZY Sam watched him for a moment, seeming puzzled. "Do you know how to build a fire?" he asked. JEN "Well, ah..." Irah turned around with his armful of sticks and gave a shy smile. "Not exactly. But I do know how to make fire." IZZY "Right," Sam said doubtfully. "Magic fire. But you have to build up a structure that'll keep burning. Maybe we can dry out some tinder and a place for a fire pit with magic ..." he added, thinking out loud, and wandered back to the relatively dry spot they'd found, where he snapped his fingers like they were flint and steel, sparking a fireball in his hands and directing it carefully against the sodden grass. JEN Irah watched feeling somewhat sad. He could've done that. Then at least he'd have been useful. He picked up a couple more sticks and pine cones to bring them over to Sam and start stacking them in a vague tent-shape. IZZY Sam watched. He made a hm sound and sort of wandered off, coming back a moment later with a couple handfuls of leaves and tall grass -- which were soaked, of course, but he crouched down by the eventual fire and glared at them, and they started to steam, then look visibly drier and wisp with smoke instead. He poked them into the center of the wood tent Irah was building. "You need, uh. Tinder," he supplied. "Something for the fire to really catch on and fuel itself, before it can take on wood." In a mumble, he added, "I figured that out on my own eventually." JEN "Oh. Uh. Well, I was going to..." Irah waited until Sam took his hands away from the stack because he didn't want to burn him, then set the whole thing ablaze. IZZY Sam squinted in the sudden light of the fire. "Oh, I mean, yeah. Yeah. There's that. That's an option too. It's a good thing to know, though, for when you're out of magic." Thoughtfully, he added, "I guess that doesn't happen so much with wizards, though, does it." He sat himself down close to the blaze, cross-legged. JEN Irah squatted next to Sam, not wanting to put his behind on the wet ground yet again. He held his hands out to the flame, smiling faintly. "Suppose so. Hm. Yeah, this one is easy. Don't think I've ever... not been able to do it. Since I learned the spell, I mean." IZZY Sam scratched at his beard idly. "The whole learning how to do it thing seems convenient. As opposed to it just kind of fucking happening to you." He fumbled a hand into his bag and came back out with a paper sack. It'd gotten a little soggy, but held together. He offered Irah some dried meat from it with one hand while he dug around in his bag some more and found an apple. JEN "It... happened to you?" Irah looked puzzled. He'd assumed becoming a warlock was a choice you made. IZZY "Yeah. You know." He waved it off, like it was a normal thing to say. "Sort of all at once." JEN "Oh." Irah fell quiet, not wanting to pry further. He took up a stick and poked the fire, but only stoking his curiosity along with it. "Well, that's, ah..." He said slowly, "unusual. Isn't it?" IZZY "I think, uh." He stopped there and squinted off over the fire, into the darkness. "Yeah. I think so. I guess it's not really a warlock thing, then, huh. I used to -- uh, I used to apprentice for this apothecary," he said, the words sounding awkward in his mouth, like he hadn't said them in a long time. "And I was good at it -- at learning the trade, right? So I guess learning magic like that just seems ... convenient. Easy. Nice." Then he looked down at the low embers of the fire and went quiet. JEN Irah held the silence for a minute before quietly asking, "What happened?" IZZY "With the apothecary?" Sam said blandly. "I got a better gig." JEN "Oh. Well, I meant with the... " Irah glanced up and faltered. "Ah, nevermind." IZZY Sam uncrossed his legs to draw his knees up, propping his folded arms on top of them. "So -- how'd you get into magic, anyway? Wizardry." JEN He shrugged. "It was just something I... kinda knew I could do. Studying and researching. I enrolled at, ah... a university and learned magic there. That's it, basically." IZZY "Huh." Sam kept staring into the fire, then gave Irah a sidelong look with a faint smile. "That's a shitty story. You should beef it up some. Tell people ... Say you were abducted off the streets by a terrible wizard, and he made you clean his home and sleep in the ashes in the fireplace. But you spent every night studying his books, and eventually you had enough of his shit, and you used the magic you'd learned to kill him, even though he should have been more powerful than you. That'll keep people from fucking with you," he added, sounding pleased with himself, then frowned a little. "I mean, assuming you can lie. Can you lie?" JEN Irah couldn't keep from smiling at that story but it faded when Sam mentioned lies. "Well, yes?" He ventured. "I mean, everyone can, can't they?" And I did it to you already. IZZY He seemed pleased with that. "Fuck, no. A lot of people can't lie to save their fucking lives." JEN "Oh." IZZY Sam patted his arm. "I'm sure you'll be fine." JEN Irah wanted to say more, to tell Sam how he never lied, had never cheated on any test or homework but he supposed every word more was an opportunity to give himself away so he kept quiet and stared into the fire. The magical flame was fading by now but the heat had dried to wood enough to make it catch. He followed the sparks on their way up, bright against the dark blue horizon and- Irah froze and stared. There, down by the treeline, they stood. Tall black figures with glowing red eyes. Watching. Waiting. They'd been silent for a while and Irah tended to forget they never really went away when they were. He tore his gaze away, at the fire, then back at the treeline but to his dismay, the red dots persisted. What do you want? He wanted to shout it at them but Sam was here so Irah had to pretend nothing was wrong. Gods. IZZY "Hey." Sam looked at Irah, and followed his eyeline. "What're you looking at?" He straightened his back a little. "Do you see something?" JEN "Ah, no." Irah dropped his gaze. "I, uh, thought I saw something. But it's nothing." IZZY He scanned the treeline anyway, alert, before settling back down. "I've got night vision," he supplied. "Like elves and orcs and such do. It's -- a thing my patron gave me. So I can keep watch. Don't worry about it." JEN Irah nodded, keeping his head down. He ventured another glance and this time, when the sparks cleared for a moment, the eyes were gone. That didn't mean they were, but... Irah liked it better when he didn't have to see them. "Hey," he said, perking up a little as he got an idea. "Can you do this?" He raised a hand as if to touch the fire but instead, moved his fingers in a pushing and pulling motion. The flames responded, starting to shift and bend and sway to a silent rhythm. IZZY Sam smiled a bit. He held his hand towards the fire, and slowly spun a finger, and the tongues of flame closest to him started to twist into spirals. JEN Irah laughed, softly but genuinely, and moved his flames in a twin spiral. IZZY Sam grinned wider. "I guess you probably learned how to do magic with other people, huh. In a class, or whatever." JEN "Yes. Well-" Irah flicked a finger and a tongue of flame shot upward, separated and vanished. "I taught myself a few things. When I was younger. But yes, most of what I can do I learned at school." IZZY "I've only ever met a couple other warlocks," Sam said. "And my patron, uh -- he's never had another warlock, so he's not ... always been sure about how this shit works, either. It sounds nice. Having guidance, and ... peers." JEN "Oh." No other warlocks then. That was good... probably? It meant whatever this entity planned relied on Sam for now. "Yes, ah... it is nice. Being able to cooperate. I owe one or two passed exams to my friends at school." IZZY "Exams." He sounded amused by the very idea. "What's that even like? Shit, I never went to normal school, much less magic school." JEN "You didn't go to school?" IZZY He shook his head. "Nah. I grew up on the street in Skyport. Orphan. Well. Abandoned," he corrected, not sounding bothered by it. "I guess you're only an orphan if your parents die on you." JEN "I'm sorry to hear that," Irah said quietly. "My parent are both alive still... I think." IZZY "Not close?" Sam guessed. JEN "Ah... " Irah tilted his head from side to side for a moment. "Well, I've been... away. For some time." He looked at Sam then. "The asylum. And then... I couldn't really go back, so... yeah." IZZY He frowned. "Did they -- did your parents put you in that fuckin' place?" JEN "Oh, no." Irah shook his head. "A court did. And I'm not supposed to be out, so if I go back home I might... they might just lock me up again." IZZY "Oh." He kept frowning. "That's fucked." He gave Irah an appraising, critical look. "You don't seem dangerous. That's not fucking right." JEN Irah smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm not... I don't want to hurt people. It's just the things I know, ah... " He trailed off. Part of him wanted to keep talking, to tell Sam everything he'd ever only written onto paper which he burned afterwards. But he couldn't. Should not, in fact. He hung his head and poked the fire again. "I don't really want to talk about it." IZZY "Yeah," Sam said softly. "That's all right. I get it." JEN With that, Irah lapsed into silence. He didn't have any more distractions ready and his thoughts were too occupied with different matters to come up with any. Eventually, his legs grew tired of the squat and Irah opted for sitting on his bag instead. The damp seeped through the canvas as well, but it was better than nothing. He kind of dreaded the night... pity sleeping up in a tree wasn't an option. IZZY After a moment, Sam glanced at him again, and said, "I don't have, you know, a blanket, or anything. Will you be warm enough? It's not usually a problem for me," he added, sounding a bit guilty. JEN "Ah, right." Irah got up and pulled his flattened bag out from under him. He'd brought a blanket, of course, only now... he dug it out and unfolded it to reveal large areas of dark, damp wool. IZZY "Could be drier," Sam commented. JEN Irah sighed and held the blanket closer to the fire. IZZY Sam scooted closer and held his hand out, drying the blanket the same way he'd dried out their clothes, before. Heat still radiated off him, less intense than the fire, but about as warm. JEN "How do you... how do you do that? How are you so warm?" IZZY He shrugged. "Warlock shit?" It was clearly a guess. JEN "Oh." IZZY "It's handy, though," he commented. "Used to get real fucking cold in Skyport in the winter." JEN "Does it?" It seemed a fairly temperate place to him but maybe that was just through three-quarters of the year. IZZY "Well, I guess not, uh. Indoors," he said awkwardly. JEN Irah paused, equally awkward. "I, uh. Meant in general." IZZY "Oh," Sam said. He didn't say anything, and cleared his throat, awkwardly. JEN "I think it's fine now," Irah said after a couple minutes of standing around and not looking into each other's eyes. He probed the cloth with his fingertips and it did seem a bit drier. "Thanks." IZZY "Uh, yep. No problem." He glanced up at the sky -- it was still grim and overcast, with no stars peeking through. "I can take first watch, if you want." JEN "You don't have to. I'll probably... take a while to fall asleep anyway." IZZY "Insomnia?" Sam asked sympathetically. JEN Irah half nodded, half shrugged. IZZY "Yeah. Me too." He paused. "I guess we can just ... both ... be awake." JEN "Less lonely for both of us," Irah said and tried for a smile. And less frightening, sitting and listening to the darkness alone. IZZY He smiled back, a little tentatively. "Yeah." JEN They both went quiet after that. Irah kept thinking- kept expecting- to hear voices again or see shadows but none revealed themselves. It was peaceful out here. A soft wind rustling the grass and the leafes, making drops of water patter to the ground, and the air smelled clean and alive. Irah felt himself drift off every now and then, and he tried laying down but the wetness and cold of the ground seeped in through his blanket immediately so he sat back up to huddle closer to the fire. Sam only seemed to be concerned about him, judging from the looks Irah was getting. He wanted to assure Sam everything was fine but couldn't make the words sound honest, so he didn't say anything at all until Sam lifted his arm to make space under his cloak. "We can share the heat," he said. Irah opened his mouth to decline but the breeze was giving him the shivers, so he just took his blanket and huddled by Sam's side. Better. This was better. IZZY Sam rested his arm around Irah, a bit uncomfortably, at first, but settling in -- shifting closer so that they could lean into each other, and fit together better. It was like cuddling a particularly soft and amenable furnace that had no compunctions about wrapping around Irah and cuddling him back. After a few moments, he started humming to himself softly, staring off into the dark past the fire, and absently drawing light spirals on Irah's shoulder with a fingertip. JEN The heat radiating off Sam made Irah all but melt into him. He rested his head against Sam's chest, not really thinking about it, and smiled faintly when noticing the touch on his shoulder. Maybe like this he'd be able to sleep. Curious, how safe he felt, despite being out in the open, not knowing where, and in the company of a dangerous man who served a demon. Sam didn't just give off heat, he also gave off... something Irah couldn't quite name. But it was good. Something whistled through the air and the embers exploded in a shower of sparks. A moment later a second projectile hit, burrowing into the ground at their feet. It was an arrow. IZZY Sam flinched at the first strike, clearly startled, but the moment the second hit dirt, he shoved his feet under him and pulled Irah behind him as much as possible, putting himself between Irah and the direction the arrows had been shot from. His quarterstaff appeared in his hand as if it were being burned into existence, and he held it out, on guard, glaring and searching the trees for the archers. His eyes glinted like a cat's in the firelight. JEN "Now hold up there, big boy!" A voice came from the darkness beyond the trees. Irah tried to get a look from behind Sam but it was too dark and the firelight too blinding. "I'd put that away if I were you," they called. "Those weren't misses!" IZZY Sam narrowed his eyes. "Stay behind me," he muttered. "I can shield us if they get more shots in." And without saying anything else, he let go of Irah to lob four crackling, blue-and-gold eldritch blasts into the trees, the sickly light of them illuminating the bandits hiding in the dark like flashes of lightning before they found their targets. JEN They dodged and fell over each other trying to avoid the blasts. Sam could see at least three go down, hit or throwing themselves to the ground. A fourth turned tail and vanished into the trees. Only a heartbeat passed before another arrow whizzed through the air, from off to the side. Irah yelped as it ripped through his jacket, leaving a sharp line of pain across his side. He cowered down, pointed, and a dome of flame erupted between the trunks. IZZY Sam growled and moved to the side, putting himself between Irah and whatever enemy might be left again. He squinted at the glare of flame, and reached back to find Irah's shoulder. "You all right?" JEN "I- I don't know," Irah brought out, half sobbing. His side was agony and he could feel his clothes getting wet and sticky. From within the trees, shouts could be heard and stumbling footstep breaking twigs. Shadows moved rapidly, outlined by the fire that had started eating at the vegetation. IZZY "Okay." His voice stayed level and calm. "I've got you. You're going to be okay." He started edging back, away from the blaze; it was difficult to tell how many bandits were left. "Grab onto me. I'll cover us." JEN Irah did, gritting his teeth through the pain. The fire in the forest didn't seem to spread, not wanting to eat at the sodden wood and plants. There was no signs of any more incoming attacks. IZZY Sam kept backing for a few more steps, then dismissed his quarterstaff and turned to face Irah properly. His hand dropped to Irah's side, where blood was staining his jacket, and slipped inside the jacket to press against the wound -- gently, checking it. JEN Irah winced and pulled away but held still a moment later, realizing this needed to happen. He bit down on the meaty part of his thumb, glancing down at his side anxiously. IZZY "It's not too bad," Sam told him firmly. He glanced up at Irah. "I don't have healing magic. Wizards don't either, right?" JEN Irah shook his head. IZZY "Okay. I'm going to do for you what I do for myself, then, all right?" He shifted to pull Irah close against him, holding onto him. "It's going to hurt like a motherfucker, but it'll stop the bleeding. You ... might need to bite down on my shoulder, or something," he said, sounding a little guilty. "That's fine. You're okay." Then, without any further warning, his grip on Irah tightened, and his other hand started burning against Irah's side. JEN Irah screamed. He'd guessed what was coming the second before it happened, and the intensity of the pain still caught him by surprise. He buried his face against Sam, howling and biting into his jacket, before a wave of nausea hit him and swept him off into darkness. IZZY Sam caught Irah's weight; he was ready for it. He kept pressing his hand against Irah's torn flesh until just after it seemed like it had been enough, just for safety's sake -- then he shifted, keeping a good grip around Irah's ribs and hefting him up, awkwardly, pulling Irah up onto his back. He tried to keep Irah from resting on his wound. It shouldn't break open again, but it would still hurt. Then he started slogging through the night, back on the road. They'd reach an inn, eventually. Irah should have a bed to recuperate in, or a friendly cleric or druid or bard to heal him. "I've got you," he muttered, to no one. END Category:Text Roleplay